The ongoing threat to transgender rights in the United States calls into question the importance of “being seen” by oneself and others, as well as related notions of safety and acceptance when done so. Being Seen is a collaborative film-based photography series that documents a tender stage in Tricia H.'s gender transition journey. Created in Southeast Michigan, the series explores daily gender-affirming moments, using documentary photography and portraiture as tools for agency, reflection, and care.

Tricia and I were classmates years ago. In 2023, I came across her coming-out post online and reached out to reconnect. Moved by her story, I offered to document this chapter of her life — an invitation she warmly accepted. From the start, Tricia requested that the photographs focus on affirming experiences, allowing the process to be both safe and cathartic for her.

When I shared the images weeks later, Tricia told me that this was her first significant experience in front of the lens as a trans woman where she felt safe, visible, and truly seen. Photography became a space where she could slow down, be met on her own terms, and be witnessed without condition.

“I spent a lot of my life trying to be someone else,” she reflected. Now, with a smile, Tricia looks toward the future, “I have a lot of plans.”

(Note: A pseudonym is used upon request.)